Touched by an Angel
by PerfectlyPrecious
Summary: All they wanted to do was get through their seventh year in peace. But when you're a Potter, a Weasley, a Malfoy, and a girl named after the seasons... life is never that simple. Welcome to the Next Generation of trouble-makers, glory-seekers, Quidditch stars, and know-it-alls.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello all! This is my first ever story that I've decided to post. I'd love some wonderful reviews to let me know how I'm doing! I'll try to be regular with updates, and hopefully my dear friend aridancer will keep me on track and motivated with this story :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the wonderful characters and places it has given us

* * *

The sun shone brightly over the English countryside. The calm breeze caressed the trees and the grass, causing them to sway lightly. Birds of prey soared in the updrafts, traveling higher and higher, always closer to the pure white clouds. Songbirds stayed near their nests, flitting from branch to branch and singing their melodious tunes. All was calm and peaceful. But the next moment, the quiet was shattered by a bright red train.

The Hogwarts Express sped down its tracks at an almost sickening pace. The blurred landscape that was visible through the foggy window made Summer Winters feel unusually queasy. The slight lurching of the train did nothing to help the matter. With every bump, Summer's insides seemed to churn violently; and yet, she couldn't refrain from looking out the window. The green fields, the farms, and the occasional body of water helped her know that she was still on earth, not drifting upwards toward Heaven. It all felt like a dream; a beautiful, glorious dream.

The train lurched again, and Summer felt her breakfast threaten to escape her stomach. She took a deep breath and the feeling eventually subsided.

Ordinarily, Summer had no problem with speed. She loved anything and everything that moved fast. Perhaps it came from her deep desire to never stay still. She was always moving, always shifting, and always running. And oh, how she loved running. So often she would run, away from everything and everyone. _"You can't run away from your problems,"_ her mother would say. But Summer tried her best. Maybe her problems wouldn't come back tenfold if she listened.

No, nothing ever moved fast enough for Summer; except, oddly enough, the Hogwarts Express. Then again, she had never been on her way to starting her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

When she had gotten her letter she had been shocked, her mother had cried, and her father had seemed indifferent. Perhaps he was only masking his true feeling on the matter. She wondered why. The only reason she could think of was because she was leaving. Nine months she would be away from home, away from her family and away from her problems. Even now she was still running. _Though_, she thought bitterly, _once again I will have to face them tenfold._

Her thoughts strayed to more pleasant things, namely her brother. She and her brother were nothing alike. Her blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin were in stark contrast to his brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. It didn't matter though; she still loved him dearly. He had been happy for her when she had written to him at college (he was ten years older than her) to tell him the news. He had written her back expressing his shock and joy that she was a witch. He was quite like their mother. Both were caring and compassionate and both would be dearly missed by Summer.

_"__You be good now," her mother had said tearfully as she hugged her on the platform just before Summer had gotten on the train._

_"__I will." She loved her mother dearly and desperately wished she didn't have to leave her only in the company of her father. Her father had been at work and unable to see her off._

Summer finally tore her gaze away from the window and back to finding an empty compartment, tossing her curls over her shoulder as she did so. Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for a spot that wasn't filled with intimidating older students. But as she stumbled along the corridor, dragging her cumbersome trunk,she had no luck finding a seat. Every compartment was packed full of students happily chatting away to their friends. Only when Summer had reached the end of the train did she find a spot. In the very last compartment sat a lone boy looking sadly out the window. She noticed he looked a bit green. _I like him already_, she decided. As she slid the door open, the boy's head whipped around to look at her. His hair was very light, almost the exact same shade as hers. He had a pale pointed face and clear blue eyes. _Almost pale as ice_, she thought.

"Hi," Summer said brightly. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

The boy shook his head but remained silent.

"Thanks." Only once her trunk was safely in the luggage rack and she had sat down opposite him did the boy speak.

"You sure you want to sit here?" he asked nervously.

Summer looked at him blankly. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm not exactly well liked. People tend to avoid me," he told her somberly.

Summer scoffed. "You seem nice enough. Why would they avoid you?"

He looked at her with a curious expression, like he'd never met anyone quite like her.

Getting tired of not even knowing the name of the boy she was somehow defending, Summer stuck out her hand. "Let's start again. I'm Summer Winters." She smiled encouragingly at him.

He shook her hand. "I'm Scorpius Malfoy." Summer stifled a giggle (who named their kid Scorpius?). "Your name is really pretty. Any particular reason you're named after the seasons?" he asked politely, although Summer could see him smirking slightly.

"I'm not sure," she said, pondering this new outlook on her name. "I think my mum wanted me to have an interesting name or something. What about you?" she raised an eyebrow. "Not many people are named after a constellation."

Scorpius looked impressed. "Not many kids know the constellations." Summer smiled smugly. "It's sort of a family tradition. My father is named Draco."

"Draco the Dragon?" Scorpius nodded and Summer giggled.

At that moment the compartment door slid open and a dark haired boy poked his head through.

"Pardon me, but all the other compartments are full." He said in a squeaky voice. "Can I sit here?" He looked like he was about to faint. Summer could guess why. From his short stature to the terrified, brilliant green eyes, this boy practically had first year written on his forehead. Of course, she couldn't really talk, being a first year herself.

"'Course," she smiled, "sit anywhere you like." She flapped her hand vaguely around the compartment. But the boy wasn't listening to her, for he had just noticed the compartment's other occupant. Scorpius' eyes had widened and he looked quite frightened. The two of them just stared at each other. Confused, Summer looked from one to the other and, after waiting in vain for someone to say something, finally lost her patience.

"What's your name?" she asked dark-haired boy, wishing to avoid another conversation with someone she didn't know.

Dark-haired boy jumped slightly and flushed. "My name's Albus. Albus Potter," he said in a slightly less squeaky voice.

"Right…" Summer said slowly. She really didn't want to jump to conclusions about the people she had met so far, but the weird names coupled with the crazy expressions didn't give her high expectations for the rest of the students. So far, everyone was insane. "I'm Summer Winters," she continued, "and this is Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius, this is Albus, t_he boy who won't sit down_."

Albus flushed deeper as Scorpius smirked. He quickly sat down at the opposite end of Summer's bench. He glanced once more at Scorpius before looking down at his feet. Something in Summer snapped.

"What is with you people?" she exclaimed, glaring at the two boys. "You're acting like you've never met another person in your life!"

Albus looked guilty while Scorpius simply resumed the forlorn expression he had been wearing earlier.

"You see, Summer…" he began slowly, pausing to choose his words carefully, but Albus cut him off.

"Just so you know Malfoy," Albus stated in a bold voice, "I have absolutely no problem with you or your family. I mean, we're not our fathers or… anything," he cringed at how lame he sounded. "So I figure that, you know… we can act like our names mean nothing, and just… well… not jump to conclusions about each other?"

There was silence in the room as Scorpius digested Albus' words (and Summer tried to work out if the last bit had been a question). Then he broke out in a huge grin and held out his hand. Albus shook it with an equally big grin. They both looked immensely relieved and not nearly so green.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on here?!" Summer asked angrily. "Is there like some weird caste system if you go to this school?"

Albus flinched at her harsh tone but Scorpius' face remained blank. "Since you don't seem to know anything about either of us, I'm guessing that your parents are muggles."

Summer raised a curious eyebrow. "What are muggles?" The boys exchanged a glance.

"Non-magic people," supplied Albus.

Summer crossed her arms and frowned at them. "Then I suppose they are. And there seems to be a lot more than that that I don't know. Care to explain?" She looked at them expectantly. They seemed confused. _Boys_. "Okay," she prompted, "just start from the beginning. Start with why Scorpius thinks nobody likes him."

Scorpius turned pink but Albus spoke first. "Well it's not really about us…." He chose his words carefully, "it's about our families. You see… my dad saved the wizarding world."

Summer snorted. Not very ladylike either.

"I'm not kidding," said Albus seriously. "It all started about…" he paused, trying to figure out exactly how long ago it had started, "a long time ago." Scorpius rolled his eyes and Albus glared at him. Summer refrained from laughing.

At the end of the story Summer's eyes had gone as round as dinner plates. The story seemed completely unbelievable, and yet she couldn't help believing it.

"That's amazing," she said fervently. And then, "Wow."

"Yeah well," Albus scratched his head uncomfortably, "Dad doesn't like fame or anything. I'm pretty sure that's why so many people respect him."

Summer had about a million more questions to ask, but at that moment, the compartment door slid open.

"There you are, Al," said a pretty red-haired girl. "I've been looking everywhere for… what are you doing sitting here with _him?!_"

* * *

"I still can't believe you've ended up being friends with a _Malfoy,_" said the girl from the train. Summer had found out that she was Rose Weasley, Albus' cousin. She was very pretty with deep blue eyes and fiery red hair that had a slightly bushy effect to it. She was currently glaring daggers at Albus and shooting an annoyed glance or two at Scorpius. Scorpius didn't seem to mind it too much though. He acted as if he were used to it, which, Summer reminded herself, he probably was. They were currently waiting in a room off the Great Hall with the other first years, all of whom were looking as though death had come to claim them. Well, all except Rose Weasley, who was too busy berating Albus to care about life changing occurrences. Honestly.

"Give it a rest will you?" Summer said hotly. She had grown tired of the whispered threats and death glares. "You're judging a person you hardly know."

Rose looked shocked. "I'll have you know that I know plenty of things about—"

"About his dad," Summer finished for her, "but nothing about Scorpius. You just met him. If you're so interested, why don't you ask him; he's right there." Summer motioned towards Scorpius. Rose looked towards him and Scorpius turned pink under her scrutiny. Rose turned back to Summer with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

"Didn't think so," said Summer triumphantly. She went to stand by Scorpius, who looked at her gratefully.

"No one's ever stood up for me before," he whispered in near disbelief. Summer looked at him incredulously. "Besides my parents," he amended.

Summer grinned. "What are friends for?" she said, nudging him playfully.

He smiled, but before he could answer, the door opened and the first years found themselves being shepherded into the Great Hall. The sea of faces staring at them, as they walked up the aisle in between two of the tables, made Summer feel quite small. She turned her gaze up toward the enchanted ceiling instead. It had started to rain slightly. Summer absolutely adored the rain. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice they had reached the end of the two tables, and walked straight into the boy in front of her. He turned to look at her and she shot him an apologetic look. He just smiled. Summer brought her attention onto the frayed hat, sitting on a three-legged stool. Scorpius had told her about the hat during the boat ride to the castle, so Summer wasn't surprised when it opened its mouth and began to sing. That didn't stop her from being absolutely fascinated that a hat actually _could_ sing.

"How does it sing?" she whispered to Albus, who was standing beside her. He opened his mouth to reply but was silenced by Rose's withering glare. The hat stopped singing (much to Summer's regret) and Professor Longbottom started reading out names. One by one, students went up and tried on the hat. Many looked on the verge of throwing up. Summer sincerely hoped that they wouldn't. She started to focus on her own nervousness. What if she failed all of her classes? What if she wasn't in the same house as her friends? _What if no one liked her and they kicked her out of the school?_ She was beginning to panic but was violently wrenched out of her thoughts due to the distraction of Scorpius' muttering: "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, not Slytherin…."

How dare he distract her unfounded fears with his muttering? "What are you whispering about?" she hissed in his ear.

He jumped slightly and looked at her innocently. "I wasn't whispering."

Summer narrowed her eyes and turned away. Scorpius relaxed.

"Why don't you want to be in Slytherin?"

Scorpius whipped around to look at her. His eyes were wide and panicked.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" shouted Professor Longbottom. Scorpius shot Summer a pleading look before making his way up to the stool, trembling slightly.

Whispers had broken out among the students when his name had been called. Some, Summer noticed seemed scared. Others seemed angry. There were many dark looks cast his way.

The hat had been on Scorpius' head for about thirty seconds now and the student's whispering was becoming louder. McGonagall silenced them with a glare. Finally the hat opened its mouth and shouted out a house.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Silence. Completed silence followed the hat's announcement. Considering that Scorpius was the first Malfoy in generations to be sorted into Gryffindor, it was understandable. But still, it annoyed Summer. Scorpius, although he had a slight tinge to his cheeks, gave off an aura of boredom. It looked as though he didn't care that no one was clapping. _But of course he did_. Summerwasn't a person who would openly draw attention to herself. She may have been bubbly and fast-paced but she didn't like to embarrass herself. She wanted nothing more than to do nothing and say nothing. But all her thoughts vanished at the sight of Scorpius, who was currently walking over to the Gryffindor table, should slightlyslumped. Summer wasn't about to watch her friend be defeated by people he didn't even know.

She started clapping loudly and, for good measure, jumping up and down while screaming like a five-year-old. The tension in the room broke and hesitant applause filled the air along with renewed mutterings. This time, however, it wasn't nearly so hostile. Summer also noticed that some students were laughing at her. She was never going to hear the end of this. Scorpius blushed and sped up, but he looked happier. He was greeted at the table by James Potter, (he looked almost exactly like Albus) who shook his hand and smiled. Potters, it appeared, did not have prejudice.

Summer glanced automatically toward Rose. Her expression was priceless. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide, eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion.

"It seems I did judge him too soon," she said guiltily, her face pink. "After all, nobody really bad could get into Gryffindor. Do you think he'll forgive me?" she asked Summer nervously.

Summer shrugged. "You'll have to ask him yourself."

"WILL EVERYONE PLEASE BE QUIET NOW!" Silence. "Thank you." Professor Longbottom glared at the students before returning to the list.

Albus was sorted into Gryffindor as well. He looked very relieved as he took his seat next to Scorpius. And Scorpius seemed even more relieved now that he had a friend at his side.

"Oh I hate having a W name," complained Rose, pouting slightly. "I can't stand being last."

"You won't be last," Summer informed her. "I'll be after you. Winters," she replied to Rose's curious stare.

"Really?" Rose stared at her bemused. "Summer Winters? Do your parents like the seasons or something?"

Summer shrugged again. "My middle name is Autumn."

Rose continued to look at Summer, her eyes filled with humor and a smile on her lips, when she was called up. Rose practically ran up to the stool in her excitement. It didn't last long though. Quite soon after she had put it on, the hat announced her house.

"RAVENCLAW!"

For the second time that night there was complete silence. Never before had a sorting been so shocking.

The Ravenclaws suddenly seemed to realize that Rose had been sorted into their house. They cheered and screamed, quite happy to have a famous person join their group. Gryffindor always got all the glory, or so Summer had been told. Rose walked to the table in a daze, and Summer felt bad for her. All her friends and family were in Gryffindor (all of whom seemed rather flabbergasted); Rose probably felt left out and alone. It wouldn't last long though. The Claws were crowding around her, each trying to claim the seats next to her.

Summer smiled. Rose would be all right.

Now it was Summer's turn. The panic that had abated returned in full force as she walked up to the stool. She nearly tripped on her way up, but thankfully no one noticed since they were still getting over the shock of Rose's placement. Neville gave her an encouraging smile but she barely noticed. The hat was placed on her head, and she lost sight of the Hall as it slipped down over her eyes.

_"_Ahhh," said a voice in her ear, "you have dark secrets, little one, very dark secrets and a dark future toooo." Summer shivered. She didn't like the way it had drawn out the too. "You have cunning and intelligence, oh yes. But if I put you in a dark house, what would become of you? Misery, depression, _death?" _Summer nearly fainted. "No, no, the place for you is with your family." But she didn't have any family at Hogwarts. Summer frowned as the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The hall applauded and she pulled the hat off. Summer smiled at her new friends over at the Gryffindor table, but on the inside she felt as cold as ice. She knew the dark secrets that the hat had referred to. How could she not? But how dark of a future was waiting for her?


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. Who knew that celebrating your birthday involved so much cleaning?

I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but if I revise it anymore I am seriously going to go insane.

* * *

"SCORPIUS!"

Scorpius groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. It was the second to last day of summer break, and instead of being able to sleep in, he was being violently awoken by his demented best friend.

"Scorpius! Scorpius Malfoy!" The covers were forcefully ripped from the bed, but the chilly air still didn't entice Scorpius to get up.

"Go away," he groaned, though it came out slightly muffled by the pillow.

"Ha," said the voice of his tormentor. "No way in heck, my friend. You are getting up right now or I _will _use this very large bucket of ice water."

Scorpius pulled the pillow away as fast as he could. He was met with the sight of Summer Winters standing over him, holding a large blue bucket just waiting to be dumped on an unwilling victim.

Scorpius rolled off of the bed just as she poured the whole thing on the spot he had just vacated. He landed with a _thump!_ at Summer's feet.

Scorpius realized that his mouth was hanging open and he quickly shut it.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "And what was the point of all this?" He gestured towards the now soaked bed.

Summer flung the bucked away and glared down at him with her hands on her hips. "Don't curse, or I'll curse you," she warned.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You're not my mother."

Summer raised an eyebrow. "I'd certainly hope not. As for your other question… I needed you to wake up."

"I don't need to wake up," he said. "What I need to do is go back to sleep."

"Which is now impossible since, oh look," she gave a fake gasp, "your bed is all wet. I guess you'll just have to come downstairs."

Scorpius buried his face in his hands. "I could just magically dry it you know."

"You could," she said with a nod. "But I bet by the time you've found where I've hidden your wand, you'll be wide awake." She smiled evilly.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." He sighed and glanced at his clock, then did a double take. "Seven," he said, turning to her with a death glare. "It is seven o'clock in the morning. Why are you waking me up on one of the last days I have to sleep in?"

"Because," she said, "today is also one of the last days you have left to see your father." She raised an eyebrow at him in challenge. "He leaves for work in an hour. Get dressed and get down to breakfast or I'm not giving you a birthday present."

He frowned at her. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh wouldn't I?" she asked smugly. "I guess you'll be finding out."

Without another word, she got up and left his room.

Scorpius sighed and let himself fall back onto the floor (painfully hitting his head), wishing for nothing more than another hour of sleep. But he knew if he didn't get up, Summer would no doubt make good on her promise; and beyond that, return with her wand. That would not be a pretty picture.

Grumbling some more, he heaved himself up off the floor, out the door, through the hall, and down the stairs, not even bothering to comb his hair or put on real clothes. At the bottom of the stairs, the smell of sizzling bacon hit his nose. Feeling slightly more awake, he meandered into the spacious kitchen.

The Malfoys had not lived in Malfoy manor since the war. Both Draco and Narcissa Malfoy had both refused to return there, especially after Lucius' imprisonment. Not lacking in money, they had moved into the large two-story home located in a nicer muggle neighborhood. The shock that had come from the Wizarding World learning that the Malfoys of all people had moved into a muggle neighborhood was astounding. Most could not believe that the fanatic pureblood family could ever associate with, let alone live with, muggles.

The truth of the matter was that the two Malfoys had nowhere else to go. And though it took a huge amount of soul searching and adjustment, they found that it was the only place where they didn't receive death glares and threats. It was a place that they had found friends and acceptance and a place where they didn't have to hide their names or faces.

And that did more to change them than anything else.

When Draco met Astoria, his old self would only have seen the Ravenclaw muggle-lover and blood traitor. The new Draco, however, saw someone who understood him and was able to accept his past. It was the two of them that had made the house a home.

And it was the only home that Scorpius had ever known.

That home had been more than a little damaged by the death of his mother nearly four years ago. And walking into the kitchen and seeing her absence only made it clearer.

Draco was sitting at the table and Summer was at the stove cooking the breakfast. Her presence in the house was a blessing for both of the men. She kept them on track and grounded and she had been the person to get both of them through the death of Astoria. Scorpius was fairly certain that neither he nor his father would have never recovered if it hadn't have been for the blonde that always put others first.

Scorpius sat across from his father. "Morning, Dad."

"Morning, Son," replied the man.

An awkward silence enveloped the room and Scorpius stifled a yawn.

"Well aren't you two both bundles of joy this morning," said Summer sardonically.

"That tends to happen when one is threatened by ice water at the crack of dawn," Scorpius replied blandly.

Draco raised an eyebrow and Summer smirked. "I need you alive, not happy."

Scorpius stared at her. "Well, that isn't at all foreboding."

Summer just laughed and even Draco gave a chuckle. Summer flicked her wand and a dozen plates of food came soaring onto the table. Scorpius looked at everything and his mouth watered. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, waffles, muffins, crepes, scones, kippers, cereal, toast, fruit, and a jar of nutella.

Despite his hunger, Scorpius still had to raise an eyebrow at her. "We can't possible eat all this," he said.

"You can't." She held up a fork with a feral grin. "But I can. This is only to hold me over until we go to the Potter's and I can eat again. Now shut up and eat your toast."

Scorpius frowned but Draco laughed quietly. "What would we do without you, Summer?"

"Bore each other to death," said Summer with a tender smile that she reserved for those she loved. "You guys need me to shake things up a bit."

Draco laughed again. "We certainly do."

Despite Summer's statement that she would eat everything, there was still food remaining when Draco left for work. Summer wrapped everything up and put it in the fridge. She then set the dishes to wash themselves and went to get changed.

Scorpius only bothered to brush his teeth and then waited in the den for Summer. He didn't particularly care what he looked like to visit the Potter's. They had to be his favorite family in the world. Both them and the Weasleys. The Weasleys had accepted who he was (with a little help from Harry and Hermione he suspected) and his friendship with their children. And being the most famous family in the Wizarding World, that meant he was generally accepted everywhere now. Some people still didn't like him. But then again, some people still didn't like Harry Potter either. One couldn't have everything.

Summer finally came downstairs again, dragging a muggle suitcase with her and making a loud thump with each step.

Scorpius winced at the noise. "What's that thing for?" he asked.

"I'm staying over at the Potter's tonight," she said simply. She jumped the last two steps and her suitcase followed with a _bang! _She noticed his curious stare. "Did I not tell you?"

"No, you did," said Scorpius frowning. "I just didn't remember until now. What about tomorrow morning?"

Summer rolled her eyes. "Don't worry," she said with a smirk. "You're all set. Why do you think I made so much food today? And then day after tomorrow I'll be here, ready to cook your breakfast."

Scorpius nodded in approval. "Good. You belong in the kitchen."

Summer threw her shoe at him.

* * *

Ginny and Lily Potter were sitting at the table, reading the _Daily Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly _respectively, when Summer and Scorpius arrived in the potter kitchen.

"Morning, Ginny, Lily," said Scorpius. Summer had already walked by them to the fridge where she was gathering everything to make breakfast. Again.

"Hello, Scorpius," said Ginny smiling.

"Hey, Scor," said Lily. She looked up and batted her eyelashes at him. He sat down as far away from her as possible.

It wasn't that he didn't like Lily. He just didn't like being stalked by his best mate's little sister.

"You know," said Summer slowly, distracting from all the awkwardness, "I'm surprised that you haven't started cooking yet. After all, it is after eight."

Ginny gave her a mock-confused look. "But Summer," she said innocently, "why would I make breakfast when I know that you're coming over and you can do it for me?"

The other three laughed and Summer scowled over at them. "You're lucky I can use magic to do this. After all, here I am, slaving away at the stove making you people food, and all you can do is laugh at me?"

"Slaving?" asked Scorpius. "Didn't you just say that you were using magic?"

Summer shot him a very dirty look.

"Anyway," said Scorpius, ignoring Summer, "where is Al? I thought he would be up by now."

Summer's face immediately brightened. "I'll get him!" She bounded off in the direction of the stairs.

"You know," Scorpius said to Lily, "I worry about her sometimes."

"You should," said Lily nodding. "Someday she won't be able to keep up her energy like this. And when that day comes, I think we're all going to learn a lot."

Scorpius stared at her. Lily wasn't just the dumb little girl everyone thought she was. Somewhere in his mind, he vaguely wondered if she had any seer blood in her.

Ginny gave them both a strange, confused look just as a loud voice resounded throughout the house.

"ALBUS POTTER, GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OUT OF BED THIS INSTANT!"

Scorpius sighed. "Looks like I got off easy this morning. She only tried to dump water on me."

Lily giggled. Summer waltzed back into the kitchen looking pleased with herself. "He's up," she announced.

"Gee, we couldn't tell," said Lily sarcastically.

Summer turned to glare at her. "One would think you would be more appreciative of my amazing waking up ability," she said, and Scorpius knew that she was half serious.

"Oh no," said Lily, "I've been on the other end of those wake up calls. You could wake up the dead!"

"I just don't think that we should waste our lives by lying around in bed all day!" Summer protested.

"Yeah, 'cause an extra hour of sleep would cause us to miss out on _sooo_ many wonderful things in life."

"You'd be surprised," said Summer cryptically.

"Oh shut up," said Scorpius. Both girls shot him evil glares. "It's too early to be fighting like this."

"Fighting?" asked Lily confused.

"Who said we were fighting?" questioned Summer.

"It's just how they talk," supplied Ginny as she set several plates of food on the table in front of them. "The language of sarcasm."

"Only the intelligent understand us," the girls said in unison.

"It seems your definition of intelligence varies greatly from the rest of the world," said Scorpius in amusement.

"Says the boy whose sarcasm puts us all to shame," Summer pointed out.

When Scorpius only shook his head and chuckled, she took it as her cue to pile her plate sky high. She shoveled the food in her mouth, causing herself to look more like a teenage boy rather than a slender girl. Scorpius frowned at her.

"You are aware that you've already eaten enough this morning to feed a small army, aren't you?"

Summer swallowed. "I am a small army."

"That's apparent," murmured Scorpius, thinking back on Summer's many escapades.

Lily shook her head. "I don't how you stay so thin." She took a tiny sip of water with her pinky in the air. "You eat like a horse."

"And you eat like a butterfly."

Three pairs of eyes stared at her incredulously. She looked back unruffled.

"Come on. Haven't you ever seen a butterfly eat?"

Lily gaped at her. "Pathetic," she muttered.

Summer paid her no attention, as Albus had just staggered into the kitchen. His red eyes were half closed and his hair looked like an animal's burrow. Scorpius had to hold in his laughter.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Summer said, managing to smirk and beam at the same time.

Al stared at her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her smile disappeared.

"What the heck is wrong with… your face?" she countered lamely. "And don't swear."

Al continued to stare at her. Perhaps he thought that sleep deprivation was causing him to hear things wrong. Shrugging, Scorpius took a bite of food.

"Pathetic," Al murmured.

Scorpius choked.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed without further interruptions. Ginny left for work, warning them not to burn the house down while she was gone. They were left to make plans for the rest of the day. Planning took all of three minutes as soon as Lily took charge.

"All right gang," she said authoritatively, "we all know that this year is a very important year for us. Because three of our number will be leaving us forever, and they will never have another chance at this. It is their last year to prove themselves worthy. To destroy the enemy and crush those who dare challenge us. So if we want those three to not be socially scorned and forced to live in a cave for the rest of their lives, then we must be victorious!"

Everyone gave her a blank stare.

"Uh… Lily… what are you talking about?"

Lily looked down at Al from her perch on top of the coffee table. "The Quidditch Cup of course! What the heck did you think I was talking about?"

"You're talking about Quidditch?" Al asked with a frown. Lily nodded. "You're giving a pep talk about the Quidditch cup?" Again, Lily nodded. "Are you the captain?" Lily now frowned and shook her head. "Then why the hell are you talking to us?!" he cried.

"Language!" admonished Summer.

"Well," said Lily, "the captain of our team is a bit incompetent in my opinion. I mean, come on. What else would he be if he lets his own sister take control?"

"Why you little-!" Al lunged at Lily, who deftly dodged him. He chased her for a fair bit. Both of them darted around and jumped over obstacles. Scorpius had to admit that it was probably good training.

"It's a good thing Ginny hid their wands before she left," Summer said to him as they watched the Potter's antics. "If not I think there would be nothing left for her to come home to."

"Probably," said Scorpius. "Though you'd think they'd notice that they're missing."

"She's been doing it for four years," said Summer. "They're just used to it by now. Besides, they've always seemed to prefer physical violence."

"I suppose so," sighed Scorpius. "I bet Al is going to murder us this year in training."

Summer laughed. "Well at least it can't be worse than James. Do you remember the time we had to run laps?"

"Around the entire Hogwarts perimeter? Yeah I remember," said Scorpius with a smile. "I thought I'd never walk again." He suddenly frowned. "Speaking of murder, what is it going to be this year?"

"Huh?" she asked bewildered by the sudden topic change. "What is what going to be?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're planning something insidious aren't you?"

Summer gave him a blank look. Then it dawned on her and she smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Don't try to deny it. You do it every year."

"Hmm." Summer batted her eyelashes at him, and he cringed, stepping away automatically.

"I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE ALBUS POTTER!" Lily shrieked as both she and her brother ended up back in front of Summer and Scorpius. "You and you're children!"

"I don't have any children!"

"And you never will when I'm done with you!"

"SHUT UP!"

Both of their mouths snapped shut, though they still were breathing heavily, and they turned to look at Summer.

"Thank you," said Summer with a glare. "Now that you're all done behaving like children-"

Lily snorted. "You're a fine one to talk."

"_Now that you're done behaving like children_," Summer stressed with a pointed look at Lily, "I think that you two would be much happier settling this dispute on the Quidditch pitch. Not to mention the rest of us will no doubt be caught in the crossfire if you don't get your energy out."

Neither said anything, much to Scorpius' amusement.

"Right," said Summer, taking their silence as agreement. "We'll play a match and see who is really victorious."

"Fine," said Lily grudgingly. She then pointed to Al. "But there is no way I'm being on the same team as him."

Al snarled. "Well I wouldn't have you on my team if you paid me."

"I am on your team, stupid!"

"Well I didn't have any say in the matter!"

"Oh my gosh, you two are just asking for a painful death," groaned Summer, burying her face in her hands.

They looked at her blankly. "What did we do?"

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Nothing… forget it. Anyway, we'll play boys verses girls. Al, you're captain of the boys," Al smirked at Lily, "and Lily will be captain of the girls." It was Lily's turn to smirk. "I'll get Rose and Hugo over here to make it a bit more interesting."

"But Rose is the enemy!" Al and Lily cried together.

Summer face-palmed. "Rose isn't even on the Quidditch team. How is she the enemy?"

"She's a Ravenclaw," said Lily.

"She could tell all our secrets to the other teams," finished Al.

"Uhh, guys," said Scorpius. "You've been playing Quidditch with Rose for as long as I've known you. And that includes all the years we've been on the team. Just let her play."

Both grumbled. "Fine," said Al. "Just this once." It was Scorpius' turn to face-palm

"Good," said Summer with a clap of her hands. "Now go get ready."

"Yes, Sir," said Scorpius.

Summer glared. "Watch it boy, I still have your wand."

She turned and left, no doubt to floo the Weasleys. Scorpius shook his head at her.

Al and Lily were already on their way upstairs, still fighting.

"She would totally make a better captain than you-Ow!"

* * *

Ten minutes later found the six teenagers in the Potter's backyard. Even though the Potter's house was humble in size, their property was not. It was a huge area that included a lake, that served as a swimming pool, and a Quidditch pitch, while the whole property bordered the woods (Harry had purposely made it as much like Hogwarts as possible, though he would never admit it). It was everyone's favorite place to hang out besides the Burrow.

The Quidditch pitch had come in extremely handy for the huge family of Gryffindor players and captains, ex-professional Quidditch players, and professional Quidditch players. Games were held nearly every day. There had also been the tremendous amount of strategy meeting and practices that both Teddy Lupin and James Potter had insisted upon.

But neither of them was there at the moment, so that left Al and Lily to fill the position of Quidditch fanatic. A role they both seemed to fill very well. The others were doing their best to get into the spirit of things. Only Rose seemed to have no interest in the battle of the sexes.

"You called me over to play Quidditch?" she asked, annoyed. "I could be studying right now."

"Quiet," hissed Lily.

Al smirked. "Seems one of you team members has a bad attitude, Potter."

"Just worry about you own team, Potter," snarled Lily. "Cause they'll be crying like babies when we're through with them."

"Only monsters kick babies!" shouted Al. He then paused in confusion at his own words while the girls all gave him strange looks. Al glared in a silent dare and turned to his team. "Okay, in order to beat them, we're going to have to strategize very carefully." He paused for effect. "They may think that they're clever and talented, but they aren't. They haven't got a Quidditch playing bone in their bodies."

"Al," said Scorpius slowly. "Two of them are on the house team."

Al pointedly ignored him. "We need all the advantages we can get!" Scorpius just shook his head sadly. It seemed his friend was forever doomed to be insane.

Al blinked a few times and gave his head a little shake. "Right. We need to pick our positions. I'm chaser of course, and we need another chaser and a keeper."

"I'll be keeper," said Hugo, raising his hand.

Al nodded approvingly. "Good man. Just remember, you can't let a single goal through, not even one." He stared down at Hugo menacingly. "You got that? _Not… even… one_."

Hugo gulped and nodded.

"Good." He turned to Scorpius. "Scor, you're my other chaser. Let's do this thing!"

The game was going pretty well. Rose and Hugo were both excellent keepers, and Al and Summer were chasers for Gryffindor and evenly matched. Scorpius was a bit out of his element chasing, being used to holding a beaters bat instead of a Quaffle. But he had been forced to play chaser so many times during small matches during the holidays, that he was able to hold his own against the others. The same went for Lily, who was a Seeker. She seemed determined to beat Al at all costs and played viciously.

Yes it was all going pretty well.

And then it turned ugly.

"YOU CHEATER! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

"DAMN STRAIGHT I DID!"

"LANGUAGE!"

Scorpius watched the scene from above. Al and Lily were once again having a go at each other, and it was over the stupidest thing he could think of. Lily had gotten a goal past Hugo, and Al had been furious. So when he sneezed on the Quaffle, he took the opportunity to chuck it straight at Lily's face. The unprepared Lily got a face full of germy Quaffle, and that made her equally enraged. They then started yelling at each other when said Quaffle couldn't be found.

In all their bickering, neither had yet noticed that the missing Quaffle was currently tucked under Scorpius' left arm.

As they continued to scream at each other, Rose flew up next to Scorpius. She was an excellent flier but didn't have the same love of the sport that the rest of her family did. Of course she always went to the matches to support her family and friends, but she simply preferred to be studying. Scorpius did have to admit that with the amount of hours he put into Quidditch, another life could have been lived. Possibly a more productive one.

"How early did this start?" asked Rose as she surveyed the row below.

"Right after breakfast. Which actually lasted about three hours now that I think about it," he said with a frown.

"The breakfast or the fighting?"

"Breakfast," he said with a smirk. "The fighting's been going on for fifteen years."

Rose laughed. Scorpius thought it was nice to see her let loose. She was so much like her mother that often she would refuse to do anything fun if there was work to be done.

His heart gave a funny little flutter when she turned and smiled at him.

"Are you ever going to tell them that you have the Quaffle?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, giving himself a mental shake. "Just watch."

He grinned and drifted forward until he was right above the siblings. With a final glance at Rose, he lined up the Quaffle and let it drop.

It fell right between the squabbling Potters, both of whom abruptly stopped shouting as it whizzed past them. The other four burst out laughing at the astonished looks on their faces. The laughing only increased when the two of them leaned forward, to see what had interrupted them, and banged their foreheads against each other.

"Ow!" they cried and glared at each other.

At this point, Hugo was barely hanging onto his broomstick and Summer had tears of laughter streaming down her face.

"What are you clowns doing?" came a voice from below.

They all looked down and saw James Potter standing on the pitch holding the fallen Quaffle. His face was trying to form itself into a disapproving look, but all he was managing was a sort of constipated look.

"JAMES!" cried Summer delightedly. In an instant, she shot down and crashed right into him. They both ended up in a heap on the ground.

"Wow," said James dazedly. "I knew I had an effect on the ladies but I never thought it was this strong."

"Shut up, you," laughed Summer, punching him on the arm. She disentangled herself and they both stood up just as the others landed.

"So, Mr. famous Quidditch player has decided to finally grace us with his presence," said Lily with arms crossed. But she quickly broke out into a grin and threw her arms around his neck. "I thought we weren't going to see you until Christmas." James was on the reserve Quidditch team for the Ballycastle Bats.

"I wasn't," he said, disentangling himself from Lily and moving to fist bump Scorpius instead. They had been good friends ever since third year after Scorpius did James' essay for him in return for use of the invisibility cloak. After James got an O, he had decided that Scorpius was a genius and deserved the title 'best friend'. The title was rescinded after both Summer and Fred (who was James' best friend) balked. "The last match was canceled due to 'unforeseeable circumstances'," James lifted his hands and did air quotes.

"Uh-huh," said Summer. "What were these 'unforeseeable circumstances'?" She imitated the air quotes.

James snorted and ruffled Hugo's hair in greeting. Hugo tried to shove him away. "The host team had been taking Felix Felicis before their last two matches. And then they were caught, so they decided to sue the Department of Magical Games and Sports for unfair rules." He suddenly grinned. "Personally I think the potion went to their heads and they thought they could actually win the case."

"How sad," said Lily. "For you I mean."

"Yeah," agreed Summer. "Now you have to put up with these guys." She jerked her thumb at the group. Lily and Hugo made noises of protest. James just laughed and hugged Rose, who had been patiently waiting her turn.

James beamed at them all. "Looks like I missed out on teaching you lot a lesson."

"A lesson on what? How to be an annoying prat?" asked Lily.

James clutched his heart dramatically. "You wound me!" The others laughed causing him to smirk. "Anyway, I'm starving. What's there to eat around here?"

"Oh, and the truth comes out!" cried Summer, pointing a finger at James. "The lonely bachelor only crawls out of his cave for food and laundry."

"No," said James crossing his arms. "I don't come just for food and laundry."

"So you're telling us," began Lily, "that in the hall, there isn't a huge sack filled with your grubby clothes?"

James was silent for a moment. "No?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "So yes, you do have a huge pile of laundry?"

"No," he said firmly. "I don't have a huge pile of laundry."

He paused.

"I have a _ginormous_ pile of laundry."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You're a wizard. It takes two seconds to do a cleaning spell."

James scoffed. "I didn't want to learn all those sissy women spells."

Lily, Rose and Summer gave him looks that would scare any man.

"Care to repeat that sentence?" Lily asked dangerously.

"Sure," said James with a shrug. "I said I didn't want to-"

"Alright! That's it!" Lily lunged at James much like Al had lunged at her earlier. James turned tail and ran toward the house with Lily hot on his heals yelling, "COME BACK HERE JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, YOU ABSOLUTE ANIMAL!"

Summer sighed as she watched them. "I suppose we should clean up." She pulled out her wand and sent the brooms and Quaffle soaring into the broom cupboard on the west side of the pitch. Scorpius watched her, and suddenly recognized the thin piece of wood in her hand.

"Hey! That's my wand!" he cried indignantly.

Summer looked down at it blankly. "Oh yeah!" she said suddenly. "I forgot! I left my wand here on Wednesday so I've been using your wand."

Scorpius stared at her. "How did I not notice this? And why didn't you just come back here to get it?"

She shrugged. "You're a dork and it seemed like too much bother." He glared at her. "What? You didn't even miss it!"

He shook his head in exasperation and held out his hand.

Summer tossed it over with a grin.

"I'll get you back for this," he warned.

He turned his back and heard her whisper, "Not if I get you first."

He shot her a dirty look, and it was then that he remembered the end of summer prank that would inevitably come. Every year, without fail, Summer and James had played a prank on fellow family members. James had been away this summer, but Scorpius knew that wouldn't stop Summer from keeping the legacy alive.

"Come on then," said Summer. "Let's go inside. I don't know about you, but all this bickering is making me thirsty."

Summer, Scorpius, Rose, and Hugo all began trudging back to the house, from which screaming could now be heard.

Al hung back from the group and Scorpius frowned, realizing that he hadn't said one word since James had arrived. He slowed his pace until he was beside Al. Summer and Rose were deep in conversation, discussing the flaws of men, while Hugo was busy defending his gender. None of them noticed his absence.

Al was walking with his head bent forward and his hands shoved in his pockets. Having known him for so long, Scorpius knew that was a bad sign.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Al sulkily. He kicked a tuft of grass.

Scorpius waited, and after a moment, Al spoke again. "It's just… I don't understand why everyone's so in love with James. He's nothing special."

"Well," said Scorpius slowly and a bit nonplussed. "He's a Potter. He was Quidditch captain for two years and Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup for both of them. He's now a professional Quidditch player. _And_ he was the good looking prankster of this generation."

Al grumbled.

"But what I really want to know," said Scorpius, furrowing his brow, "is why, suddenly, you care so much. James has been James, since he first started school. So why do you suddenly mind?"

Al snorted. "I don't mind."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to help. You _can_ talk to me you know."

Al sighed. "I know. Sorry." But he didn't elaborate on his feelings anymore, so Scorpius decided to drop it. There would be other opportunities to talk to Al.

They had reached the house by this point, and thankfully Lily had stopped shouting at James. They were both in the kitchen. James was leaning casually against the counter while Lily was perched on the island, glaring daggers at him.

"There you guys are," said James, beaming at them. "What took you so long?"

Summer rolled her eyes.

Rose went over to the fridge. "I made lemonade this morning and brought it over for you guys." She pulled out a huge pitcher.

While the others crowded around to get some, Scorpius saw Summer and James whispering conspiratorially to each other. He suddenly got a nasty feeling that James had somehow sneaked himself into this year's prank. Rose handed out glasses to everyone, and when Scorpius saw both Summer and James surreptitiously set their cups down, he figured that he had just discovered what it was.

He gave his glass a suspicious glare and set it down as well. Summer threw him an irritated look.

He just smiled.

Summer was leaning against the counter next to James. And was it Scorpius' imagination, or had Al's glare deepened? Scorpius looked from Al, to James, and back to Al before a thought struck him.

But it couldn't be right.

It was no secret that James had had a crush on Summer during their Hogwarts years; he had said so many times. He had gotten over it in his sixth year though, and in seventh, he had gotten a steady girlfriend.

Scorpius was genuinely confused. It didn't make sense that Al was reacting the way he was unless… unless he liked Summer. If he was right, and Al liked Summer, then the situation had the potential to get very awkward. Because Summer had never mentioned any feelings for Albus and Scorpius and Summer told each other almost everything. She had told him about her fears and her past, but she had never once mentioned a crush on anyone. He would have to ask her later.

"Well," said Rose suddenly. "I think we should be getting home. Come on Hugo."

"You don't get to tell me what to do," snapped Hugo.

Rose crossed her arms. "I do unless you want me to tell Mum that you haven't done any of your summer homework."

Hugo's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"

"Because every year you do it all on the train ride to school," said Rose disapprovingly. "Why would this year be any different?"

Hugo grumbled and glared at everyone when they started laughing. With his chin in the air, he strode out the door without a backward glance.

Rose sighed. "Boys." She shook her head sadly. "We'll see you lot tomorrow." And with a wave she was gone.

Albus drained his glass and stood up. "I'm going to go get changed," he said stiffly, and walked out into the hallway.

"Me too," said Lily, examining the ends of her hair. "And get a shower." She followed Albus out.

Scorpius made to follow them, but someone had grabbed his wrist. He turned and saw Summer, grinning.

"Wait for it." She looked positively ecstatic.

James looked like a kid in a candy store and Scorpius knew what was happening. Their prank was finally going to be revealed.

Sure enough, several minutes later, two simultaneous screams from upstairs were heard. Seconds after that, Albus and Lily came storming back into the kitchen.

"SUMMER!"

But everyone was too busy laughing at them to answer. Albus' hair had turned a shocking pink and Lily's a sickly green. They both had the exact same expressions on their faces –rage.

If the others thought the situation couldn't get any funnier, they were wrong. Harry and Ginny had chosen that moment to arrive home and enter the kitchen from the backyard. It must have been a strange sight. Al and Lily standing in the middle of the kitchen with pink and green hair respectively, with James, Scorpius, and Summer laughing their heads off. After several moments of confusion, the adults joined in. Al and Lily were not happy.

But before anything could be said, the door burst open once again. A furious Rose Weasley marched in with lime green hair. If looks could kill, all of England would have paid for Summer's trick.

"Summer Winters what did you do to my hair?!" Rose shrieked. She suddenly noticed Harry and Ginny and her cheeks turned pink. "Oh… hi, guys." James and Scorpius laughed harder.

Al had had enough. "How did you do it?" he asked Summer angrily. "It couldn't have been a spell."

"No," Summer snickered.

"It was the lemonade," supplied Scorpius.

They looked at him blankly.

"But how?" asked Rose with a frown. "I made that! And you were outside when I put it in the fridge."

James cleared his throat and Rose's look of curiosity disappeared. "Oh," she said. "I should have known."

"Yep," said James proudly. "I just couldn't miss out on my baby's last year." He ruffled Summer's hair and she promptly shoved his hand away.

"But how did you do it," continued Rose. "You said it wasn't a spell, and James isn't smart enough for that anyway."

"Oi," protested James.

Summer said, "I found a potions book in the library a couple months ago. It had some really strange potions, like… really, really weird."

"Really?" asked Rose with a raised eyebrow, "I wasn't aware that you could read."

Summer smiled sweetly. "Just because I never need to read a book what with my walking talking library over here—," she gestured to Scorpius, who blushed, "— doesn't mean that I don't read for the pleasure of obtaining knowledge that others don't possess." She grinned wickedly as Rose just stared at her.

But at the mention of Scorpius, Al had realized something. "Why doesn't Scorpius have different colored hair then?" he asked, annoyed.

"Because he figured it out," said Summer, miffed. "He's too clever for his own good."

"He's not that clever," argued Rose.

All through their conversation, Harry and Ginny had been standing by the door, listening in amusement as their kids had a go at each other.

"Well he is the only one that still has normal hair," Ginny pointed out.

* * *

Night had just set in and Scorpius knew his father would be getting home soon. It would be a lonely night without Summer in the house, but it would be nice to get a chance to talk to his dad alone for once. He knew that was partially the reason that Summer was staying over at the Potter's that night.

But going home would have to be put off for a little while longer. At the moment, he had something he needed to do.

Scorpius stood staring at Summer's door for some time. Thoughts raced in his mind at a hundred miles an hour. Al hadn't actually told him that he had feelings for Summer. But the more he thought about it, the more obvious it became.

Summer was his best friend. And that meant that Al most likely wasn't going to be open to him about his feelings for her. But Scorpius also didn't want to go behind Al's back and reveal something. The way Scorpius figured, the best (and easiest) way of helping out both of his friends was to find out how Summer felt. He didn't need to mention Al at all.

With that thought in mind, he knocked softly on her door.

There was no reply and Scorpius couldn't hear any noise coming from the room. He frowned and tried again.

Still nothing, and now Scorpius was beginning to feel worried. He hesitated a moment, but his concern won out and he pushed the door open.

Summer was sitting at her desk with her profile to him. She stared vacantly at the wall in front of her with her chin resting on her folded hands. Scorpius could see the slight furrow of her brow and the sadness in her eyes.

"Summer?" he asked tentatively.

She gave a start and whipped around. When she saw it was him, she sagged in relief. "Oh, it's just you."

"Gee thanks," he said with an eye roll as he closed the door behind him.

"I didn't mean it like that; I thought you were Al or Lily." She smiled. "They probably want to kill me right now," she laughed lightly.

Scorpius went to sit on the bed and Summer's smile slipped from her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

She sighed and stared past him at the wall. "I don't know. I guess it was just… James."

"James?" asked Scorpius, bewildered.

Summer nodded and looked back at him. "He didn't do anything. I just finally realized that this was our last summer here… as kids. We hardly saw James at all, and we're not going to see him at school. And then today, we did our final prank together." She sighed. "It feels like I've lost another brother."

Scorpius looked at her sadly. "Oh Summer." He held out his arms in invitation, and after a moment, she sat down next to him on the bed. He hugged her tightly. "You haven't lost James. I don't think you could get rid of him even if you tried." She chuckled softly.

He paused trying to find the right words. "You don't have to worry about losing him or anyone else. James will always be there for you, no matter what. He is a Potter after all."

Summer nodded and pulled out of the hug. "I know," she said with a sad smile. "He reminds me of Larry. Sometimes I just… I just miss him so much."

A single tear slipped down her cheek and Scorpius gently brushed it away before she had the chance.

She shook her head at him. "Here you are, taking care of me and I didn't even ask what it was you came in here for."

"Who says I didn't just come in here to make fun of you?"

Summer rolled her eyes. "'Cause that's the last thing you would do. So… what's up?"

He paused a moment, wondering if he was really doing the right thing. He didn't want to upset her any more than she already was, but he needed to ask her. Taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes. She was hurting. More than anyone could possibly know. There were only three people that she had ever trusted completely. He was proud to say that he was one of them. The others were his father and Mr. Potter. Harry had been there for both of them, and he was still there for them today. Whenever they needed someone to talk to he was there. He was like a second father to both of them. His own father had faced sadness and difficulties. Both of the adults could relate to her, and to them. They understood.

Their friends were a different story for Summer. Though Albus was so much like his father that Scorpius often wondered why Summer had never confided in him.

He looked into her eyes and sighed. "I just need to ask you something," he began slowly. She looked at him questioningly. "About… you."


	3. Chapter 2

_Al and Summer were sitting on a low cliff by the beach. The waves crashed against the rock beneath them, causing chunks to break off into the sea. The sun had just started to set. The orange glow reflected off of Summer's hair, creating a halo of light. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him and her smile made his heart melt._

_"__You know how much I love you, right?" he gently took her hand in his._

_She smiled at their entwined fingers. "More than life itself?"_

_"__That's right," he nodded, "and I will never leave you."_

_"__Never?"_

_"__Never."_

_She leaned towards him, her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. He leaned forward to meet her. Their lips were millimeters apart when thunder lit up the sky._

_Summer was gone._

_Al twisted about, searching for her. "Where are you?" he called out desperately._

_"__You said you'd never leave me." He voice spoke, but she wasn't there._

_"__I didn't," he pleaded, looking around desperately._

_Now he was in the ocean. The waves splashed his face and knocked him about; he couldn't breathe. _

_"__You left me!" She was standing on the surface of the water looking down on him. "You left me when I needed you! Why didn't you fight for me?" She barely resembled Summer. She was beautiful but terrible, and her face held only wrath._

_"__No," whispered Al, as she began to walk away. "No… No…"_

_He was sucked under the water. He struggled for breath. He was going to die._

_"__NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_—"

Al jerked awake very suddenly, as though he had been doused in water. A quick look around his room quelled his sudden fear. No one was there.

Al rubbed his face. He was out of breath and extremely tired; it felt like he had just run a marathon. For a moment, he couldn't understand why. And then the dream came back to him.

The dream itself was new, but the content was not. He and Summer together, as a couple, being torn apart while she blamed him. She said he left her, but he hadn't. _He couldn't._

He would never leave her… abandon her… desert her.

He loved her.

Albus sighed and rubbed his face again. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he realized that he liked her. It had been sometime during their sixth year. Summer had been a late bloomer and hadn't fully… developed until the summer before sixth year. He had been attracted to her, but it had turned into more. He liked her as a friend, and then he liked her more. About halfway through the year he realized that he liked her-liked her. He found himself enamored with her eyes and spellbound by her smile; and many times he caught himself staring at places that he really shouldn't. She had the most gorgeous legs that he had ever seen.

_Ah, bad thought, bad thoughts._

He shook himself and jumped out of bed. This was getting out of hand. He couldn't go around with thoughts like that. His dad knew legilimency after all.

_Those long slender legs_—.

He bolted out of his room, making a beeline for the kitchen. A cold glass of water would fix this. A nice, ice-cold glass of water dumped over his head. Just the thing for—

"Al? What are you doing?"

Al whipped around and saw his father sitting at the kitchen table, looking surprised.

"Dad?" he choked out in a hoarse voice. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Harry looked amused. "It's six o'clock."

Al turned to look at the clock on the wall.

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly.

"I see your hair turned back to normal."

"Did it?" asked Al distractedly, running a hand through it. The dream had made him totally forget about his hair.

Harry was looking at him curiously now, and Albus started to panic. His dad was an Auror. He could worm a confession from any death eater/bad guy out there; his kids were no problem.

Except for Lily.

He was putty in her hands.

"Come on, have a seat," Harry said.

He sat down in the chair opposite his father, looking anywhere but his face.

_What a lovely ceiling we have._

"What's on your mind?" The question was gentle, not too pushy. His father's voice was interested and caring. It was meant to entice a truthful response. _Auror tactics, _thought Al.

Al should have been able to talk to his dad about girls; he was his dad after all. But it felt wrong. If it was any other girl, then it would have been no problem. But it wasn't any girl. It was Summer Winters and she was basically family.

He looked up at his father and took a deep breath, fully intent upon denying that anything was wrong.

"It's a girl," Al heard himself say. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, but the damage had already been done. His father was looking thoughtful.

"A girl?" he asked, not looking at all surprised. He sighed. "That's definitely a problem. Girls are mysterious creatures, luring in their prey with their charm, good looks, and certain body parts—"

Al felt his face heat up. This was dangerous territory.

"—before you realize it, you've been ensnared in their trap. They become whiny and needy, spend every dollar you make, and dictate every aspect of your life. They make you their slaves and place burdens on your back when all you want to do is be free. Life becomes worthless and miserable. You end up dying an early death or getting a divorce. Either way they get all your money and property. It's not worth getting mixed up in."

Al stared at his father with wide eyes.

"That's how most guys feel." His father shrugged, taking a sip of coffee.

Al gaped at him. "What are you talking about? You make it sound horrible! Is that really my future? Merlin, what have I gotten myself into?" he asked desperately letting his head fall onto the table with a _bang!_

Harry smiled at his son. "I said that's how most guys feel." He waited until Al lifted his head from the table to continue. "Guys have a tendency to go for the prettiest girl even if she's completely horrible. They become infatuated instead of falling in love, and they end up regretting hooking up or getting married. And more often than not, guys with low character will hook up with a girl and then dump her the next day. They treat them like trash." Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought. "When you fall in love, that girl is the most beautiful girl you've ever seen, even if she's not that pretty. She's the smartest girl, even if she has made some bad decisions. Love blinds. When you find the right girl, you'll have a bond stronger than just infatuation. She will complete you, make you stronger, and always be there to support you. Except when you're wrong… then she'll slap some sense into you."

Al looked at his father with both reverence and apprehension. "Is that how you feel about mom?"

"Your mother is the smartest most beautiful witch there is," he said sincerely.

Al took that as a yes.

"So who is this girl?" his father's Auror persona returned and he fixed Albus with a look. "Why haven't you mentioned it before?"

"I don't know, I was just kind of nervous. And, well, I couldn't exactly talk to Scorpius about it—," once again, Al's mouth spoke before his mind told it to. He clamped his jaws together.

"Ah," his father said smirking, "Summer _is_ a very attractive girl." The knowing look he was receiving spoke more than words ever could.

Al considered denying it, but he knew it was futile. "What do I do?" he asked desperately.

"Well, you could mope about it for days, even months, or you can do something about it. Find out if she likes you back. I'm afraid there's not much I can do to help you. You've known Summer for years… can't you just ask her out?"

"No," said Al, shaking his head. "If she doesn't like me and I ask her out, then it'll just be awkward between us."

Harry sighed. "I don't' know what to tell you, Al. Maybe just that Summer is not the girl you think she is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Al asked quickly.

Harry gave him a grim smile. "Nothing… you'll figure it out." He looked at his watch. "I need to get going." He jumped up from the table.

Al panicked. "But what do I do? About… everything? I can't ask Scor or Summer about it."

"You have more than two friends, Al. You'll figure it out," he repeated. "I have to go."

With that Harry rushed out the door, leaving Al alone with his very confused thoughts.

* * *

"Al? What are you doing up this early?"

Al jerked his head in the direction of the hall where Summer was currently standing. She was clad only in a baggy t-shirt and shorts. Very short shorts.

Very nice short shorts.

Al realized that he was staring at her legs and Summer was waiting for a reply.

"Uh…," _focus_. He pulled himself together. "I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. What time is it?"

"Seven. I was in my room doing yoga," her voice was casual but her expression was odd.

As if to increase the oddness, she sat down across from him and stared unblinkingly at him.

It was a bit unnerving.

"What are you doing?" he asked, weirded out.

"Staring at you." Good old Summer, always the honest reply.

"But why?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I have my reasons." Her voice was odd now.

He leaned back a little when a horrible thought occurred to him. What if she had found out about his crush? If he had been talking in his sleep, and she walked by the door, then he was screwed.

_Crap, crap, crap._

"Are you okay?" Summer asked, concerned, when he hadn't spoken for several minutes.

"Fine," he squeaked. "Just fine."

* * *

The dream, the talk with his father, and the talk with Summer had sufficiently made Al forget the reason that Summer had stayed over in the first place.

Getting ready for Scorpius' surprise birthday party.

They of course couldn't have the party on his actual birthday, since September 1 was the day they left for school, so they settled for the day before. It was Saturday, and Summer had arranged for Draco to keep his son occupied all afternoon.

The Potter family spent the majority of the day at the Burrow, setting up decorations and helping Nana Molly cook.

Al barely noticed. He went through the day in a bit of a fog. He meditated on his father's words, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. _Any_ part of it.

"Rosie! You're here!"

Al was startled out of one of his reveries by Summer's exclamation. When he looked around, it was to find both Rose and Hugo glaring at Summer, who was grinning.

"I see your hair turned back to normal," she said brightly. "What color did your hair turn, Hugo? I never got to see."

"Purple," said Hugo glowering.

Summer laughed. "Come on, I know you can't stay mad at me," she batted her eyelashes at him.

It worked. Hugo turned slightly pink and said a begrudging, "No."

* * *

At around four, the Potters and Summer went back home to change from their work clothes and to get the presents they had hidden.

Al was in his room, staring moodily at his desk. He wasn't even sure why he was in such a bad mood.

"Are you ready to go?"

Al looked up and saw Summer standing in his bedroom doorway. She had done her hair and makeup and changed into a flattering skirt and blouse. Al was slightly mesmerized.

"Go where?" he asked stupidly.

"The Burrow," said Summer. She gave him a pointed look. "It's the last day of summer break… Scorpius' birthday is tomorrow." She raised her eyebrows. "We're going to the Burrow to throw him a surprise party. We've been setting it up _all_ day."

Al stared at her for a moment while her words sunk in.

"Oh!"

She chuckled. "There you go. You better hurry. We're leaving in a few minutes."

"Right. I'll be down soon," he said.

"Good." She flashed him a gorgeous smile and left.

Al sighed. He was really far gone.

* * *

Only family and close friends had been invited to the party at the Burrow.

Which naturally meant that the place was packed.

As soon as Al stepped through the door, he was attacked by Nana Molly. She enveloped him in a bear hug that no one would have expected from such a small woman. Unless they knew her, of course. After a moment, she pulled away and held him at arm's length.

"You've grown since I last saw you. And you're _awfully_ thin. Are you getting enough to eat? I'm sure my daughter is responsible about meals. After all, I raised her." She pursed her lips for a moment and her sharp eyes sought out Ginny. But then she looked back at Al and beamed. "Oh you look exactly like your father did at this age…"

Summer walked past the two of them, and Al's eyes automatically followed her.

Nana Molly noticed his gaze. "Your father couldn't take his eyes off Ginny either," she said slyly.

Al felt his face heat up. "W-what?" He cleared his throat nervously. "What makes you say that?" Did everyone know about his feelings?

Nana molly just smiled and gave his arm a pat, and then she moved on to greet the rest of his family.

Face still red, Al moved into the living room. Hung up on one wall was a giant banner that said in large letters: _Happy Birthday Scorpius, Head Boy_!

A smaller banner, written in sloppy handwriting, had been carelessly hung in the opposite side of the room. It said: _And Rose is Head Girl and Albus is Quidditch Captain_, _Yay_.

"I knew Scorpius would feel strange if the two of you weren't mentioned as well, so I asked Ron to make sure that you and Rose were recognized," said Hermione wearily as she came and stood next to him. "I didn't expect that."

Al laughed. "It's Uncle Ron. He's a two-year-old a heart."

Hermione sighed but smiled. "Yes he is. I better go tell him how… wonderful his attempt was," she said dryly. Al chuckled.

"Quiet everyone!" called Summer. "Scorpius will be here soon!"

The noise died down and the tension in the room steadily climbed. Even Al felt a thrill of excitement when the familiar _pop!_ was heard outside. Two seconds later, the door opened and the whole room screamed "SURPRISE!" Scorpius' jaw dropped. Everyone broke out into applause and clamored to greet the birthday boy.

Al laughed and went to clap his friend on the back once the area cleared a bit. "Congratulations, mate!" he said.

Scorpius rubbed his ears in jest. "What?!" he yelled, but then broke out in a smile. "Thanks." He turned and saw a person that Al hadn't noticed yet. "Dad?" he asked in disbelief. "I just talked to you a second ago."

Draco smiled at his son. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." He gave his son a hug. "Didn't think I'd miss my son's own surprise party, did you?"

Scorpius looked incredibly happy. He father shoved him off to talk to other people, and Draco himself went to join Harry and Ron in conversation. The three had made amends when their children became friends. Though it was still awkward for them at times (every time the conversation left the topic of Quidditch, that is) they had come a long way from their years at school. Sadly, Al knew that the biggest step towards their acquaintanceship had been the death of Scorpius' mother.

Al sighed and stood alone for a few minutes, looking around. Scorpius was talking to Teddy and Victoire. They had gotten married a few years ago. Percy was informing a very bored looking Rose of all the benefits that came with working for the Ministry. Hermione had finally found Ron and was pulling him away from Harry and Draco to berate him. But no matter where he looked, Al could not find the one person he was looking for.

"Boo," came a voice right next to his ear.

"Ahhh!" He jumped so much that he spilled the drink he couldn't even remember acquiring.

He turned and saw that Summer was doubled up, laughing and clutching her stomach.

"That wasn't very nice," said Al.

"I-I'm s-sorry. Haha! You're face!" She was laughing so hard that she was no longer making any noise, only emitting a sort of strangled squeak now and then.

"You didn't scare me," said Al trying to regain some dignity.

"Of course… I didn't," she said gasping for breath. And she looked so beautiful when she smiled at him, that he felt inclined to forgive her.

"Well, just warn me next time you're about to surprise me." He realized one second later how stupid he sounded.

Summer burst out in renewed laughter.

Al rolled his eyes. "What is this? Make fun of Albus day?"

"No," said Summer, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "You were just the nearest person."

Al snorted. Across the room, Lily had sidled up to Scorpius and was attempting to gain his attention. Mostly by pawing at his arm. Rose, seeing Scorpius' discomfort, hurried over and pulled him away and into the kitchen. Lily appeared quite peeved.

Albus frowned at the exchange. "What was all that about?"

Summer snickered. "I think Lily was trying to hit on Scorpius."

Al was overcome with a sudden fit of coughing and Summer laughed at him. Again.

"It's not funny," he said with a shiver of disgust. "It's creepy. My little sister is hitting on my best friend." He wrinkled his nose. "No, actually it's beyond creepy. It's downright disgusting."

"It's not that surprising though," said Summer. She took a sip of her muggle Diet Coke. She was the only person Al knew that drank it. "I mean, half the female population has a crush on Scorpius. I even overheard a couple of adults in Diagon Alley talking about how good looking he is."

Albus shook his head. "Lily's fifteen."

"And having a crush on a guy is normal at fifteen," said Summer. "It's if she wasn't interested in guys that you should be worried."

Al gave Summer a look. "Are we really standing here, discussing how much girls like Scorpius?"

Summer laughed, but she wasn't the only one.

"Yeah, I mean you could be standing there, discussing how much girls like _me_. That would be much more understandable."

Al and Summer both turned around.

"Freddy Weasley," she said. "How kind of you to grace us with your presence."

Fred grinned at them. He was tall and freckled and possessed the trademark Weasley hair that his sister lacked. He and James had been the new 'James and Sirius' or 'Fred and George' during their years at Hogwarts. Fred was currently working in the family business, managing the Hogsmeade branch of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"I know," said Fred mock seriously. "I don't have a lot of time for the little people you know. You should be honored that I even remember your names, Alber and Summus."

They stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me," said Al.

Fred frowned. "You dare disrespect me? Now you must die!"

He gave a great shout and tackled Al to the ground.

"Fred!" cried Summer as she watched Fred successfully get Al in a choke-hold. "What have I told you about wrestling?"

Fred sighed and let Albus go. "That I'm not supposed to wrestle in front of you when you're wearing a skirt and can't join in."

"That's right," said Summer, though she was having trouble suppressing a grin. "Now I must run along children, so be good boys while I'm gone."

She gave Fred a rather harder than necessary pat on the head, though Al only received a smile. He wasn't complaining.

He watched her leave, his mind once again returning to his father's words.

When he turned to make a jab at Fred, he found his cousin staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he demanded.

Fred looked in the direction that Summer had gone and then back at Al. The eyebrow went higher.

Al glared at him, daring him to make a comment.

In a very un-Fred-like manner, Fred didn't say anything humiliating or mocking and instead got up smiling.

"Well, I'll leave you to figure that out then. I have important, manly things to do. Must find James."

He walked away; and Al remained on the floor, wondering how many more of these incidents he would be forced to endure.

Apparently many more, because Rose came over and sat down beside him. "Soooo."

He gave her a look. "So what?"

"You and Summer…" she said smirking.

Her too, then. Al swallowed nervously and turned away from her. "Me and Summer what?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Come on, Al. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, even Fred caught on." Al threw her a dirty look. "I can see the way you look at her. And it wasn't really hard to notice the way you were glaring at James yesterday when she was paying more attention to him than she was to you." She raised her eyebrows.

Al opened and closed his mouth a few times, each time almost saying something stupid in an attempt to deny it. Finally, he sighed. Rose was closer to him than almost anyone. _Might as well give in_. "Yeah, I like her."

Rose squealed.

"Shhh!" hissed Al, looking around furtively. "I don't want her to hear."

"Oh this is wonderful!" Rose ignored him. "You're perfect for each other! I can't wait to start planning the wedding!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Al, holding up his hands but forgetting to keep his voice down. "I don't even know if she likes me back."

"Of course she does! She hasn't had any boyfriends this past year has she?"

"No, but she did the year before," said Al sulkily.

"But that was forever ago!" insisted Rose. "She just has to like you!"

Al sighed. He knew it was pointless to argue. "Whatever you say, Rose, whatever you say."

**[A/N: So there's chapter 3. Things will start to be revealed in the next few chapters or so, so stick around! I will try to post a new chapter every Monday. If I don't, then I'm probably dead. Or busy…. Either one.]**


	4. Chapter 3

_There were screams and shouts coming from the other parts of the house. They were followed by bangs and sometimes a demented laugh or two. Scorpius was crouched behind a couch in the den, panicking about what to do. As soon as the group had attacked, his father had started fighting and his mother had hurried him away from the scene._

_The shocked party guests had either fled or joined in the fight. It was Christmas Eve and Scorpius was pretty sure that many of them would never see Christmas. _

_The group that had attacked was large and merciless, attacking anyone and everyone. Scorpius had never experienced anything like it; but like every other kid, he had heard the stories of the War. The Death Eaters were still feared even today, and now Scorpius knew why._

_In the rush of people heading for an exit, Scorpius had become separated from his Mother. Now here he was, cowering like an idiot while people were dying. Most likely his parents were too._

_"__Stop it," he said to himself. He needed to get up and help, but he didn't want to get in the way and endanger anyone. His knowledge of defensive spells was weak at best. Defense had never been his best subject._

_But how could he just sit here? He needed to get up._

_Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up off the floor and ran into the hall._

_BANG!_

_The battle had spread and was raging right in front of him. People were dueling with hooded figures and avoiding stepping on the bodies that now littered the floor. Whether they were dead or not, Scorpius didn't know._

_Scorpius ran from the scene, deftly dodging the spells that flew towards him. _

_Through a door, over a body, under an arm—he raced as fast as he could, although he was unaware exactly where he was going. He ended up at the kitchen door and he pushed it open just in time to see a flash of green light and his mother fall to the floor._

_"__NO!"_

_But the sound didn't come from him; he was too shocked to make any noise. It came from his father, who was now clutching his wife's body. His father turned towards the man. _

_"__I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"_

_There was another flash of light and Scorpius saw his father on the floor next to his mother. He was breathing very heavily._

_In shock, Scorpius turned and saw a man laugh a cruel cold laugh. "Right where you belong, blood-traitor," the man sneered. "But I think that you deserve a little more… _pain_ before we kill you." He smiled evilly._

_Scorpius must have made a noise, for the man suddenly looked over at him. The man's smile widened. "Or even better," he said, "you should see someone else suffer first."_

_His father struggled but couldn't move more than a few inches. The man laughed and pointed his wand at Scorpius._

_Scorpius._

_Before he could cast the curse, the Aurors arrived and blasted the man off his feet. _

_"__Scorpius."_

_But it didn't matter. His mother was dead and his father was dying too._

_"__Scorpius!"_

_Dead. And it was his fault._

"SCORPIUS!"

"Wha-?"

Scorpius opened his eyes and blinked blearily. He wasn't in the kitchen. He was in his bedroom. It had been a dream.

_No_, he thought bitterly. _Not a dream… a memory._

"Scor?"

He blinked and saw Summer standing above him, looking very concerned. She must have woken him up.

"Was it another nightmare?" she asked quietly.

Scorpius nodded.

"You haven't had one in weeks," she whispered. "What do you think caused it?"

Scorpius didn't answer right away, and he could barely look her in the eye.

With a sigh, he sat up and rubbed his face. "Nothing. I'm fine, Summer. Sorry I woke you up."

The sun was barely coming up over the horizon, but it didn't prevent him from seeing Summer's hurt look.

"You always tell me not to pretend with you," she said quietly, "so don't pretend with me. Tell me what you're thinking."

He felt tears prick at his eyes. He really wasn't being fair with her. She was his best friend after all. "I just can't help thinking that if I had gone out sooner… that she'd still be alive," he choked. "It's my fault she's dead."

"Oh, Scorpius," Summer whispered sadly, "how can you think that? It's not your fault."

She sat down next to him on the bed and put her arm around his shoulders, hugging him close to her. Scorpius closed his eyes, feeling a wave of comfort wash over him.

"If you had gone out sooner," she continued, "you would have died too. You barely knew any defensive spells at all, and certainly none that would have been effective against a Death Eater." She took his hand in her free one. "Your mother would have wanted you to live. She wouldn't have wanted you to spend your whole life feeling guilty. You need to hold on to the good memories you have of her, and not let them be tainted by anything else." Her voice broke at the end and he pulled her into a proper hug, nestling his face in her neck.

It seemed like such a long time ago that they were both laughing and joking at his party, but it was really only last night. He wished they didn't have anything to be sad about. He wished they could be kids again. He wished they could have peace from the nightmares.

"Do you want to sleep here until morning?" he asked.

She shook her head, still hugging him. "No, it's almost dawn. I'll just go for a run."

"Alright," he said softly. "Be careful. I'm not sure I like you going out this early."

She chuckled. "Don't worry about me. I don't need anyone to take care of me. I haven't for a while now."

"That doesn't mean that I can't try," Scorpius said quietly to himself once she had left the room.

* * *

It was September 1—Scorpius' birthday and the day they left for Hogwarts. Scorpius didn't go back to sleep after his nightmare. He just lay in bed and thought. He tried to hold on to the good memories that he had of his mother. There were a lot of them, but they all seemed tainted by his nightmare—a reminder of his pain.

The Death Eaters had not all been captured after the Battle of Hogwarts. Many of the cowardly ones fled and hid until the heat died down, allowing the more loyal servants to be locked away. Later they reappeared, avenging their lord in the only way they could: killing. But they were still cowards. None of them dared go after Harry Potter or the other heroes of the War. Instead they went after muggles and muggle borns and those more defenseless.

And they also went after any of their former members that they saw as traitors.

Draco Malfoy was seen as a traitor by both sides, and he made the perfect target for a group of vengeful ex-Death Eaters. Draco had paid the price for what he did as a teenager, but it was not with his own life.

Scorpius loved his father dearly, but it just wasn't the same without his mother around. They both missed her. They both were broken without her.

But Summer was right. He couldn't let himself become consumed by hatred and guilt. He had to move on.

Easier said than done.

* * *

Platform nine and three-quarters was only busy during a few days out of the whole year, and September 1 was the busiest day of them all. All the parents wanted to see their children off, especially those going into their first year. Friends were reunited from not seeing each other over summer break, squealing and screaming as children will. Owls, cats, and toads screeched and hissed at all the noise, inadvertently adding to it.

Scorpius and Summer arrived at the station earlier than usual, just so they could avoid all the hullaballoo and get a decent compartment. Draco had to go into work and was unable to see them off. Scorpius was a little disappointed at that, but he knew his father only worked so much in order to provide for his family's future.

"Just think," said Summer as she stepped through the brick wall and joined Scorpius on the hidden platform, "this is our last train ride to Hogwarts. Unless you count Christmas… and Easter..."

Thankfully, the platform was nearly deserted. Scorpius only saw several families so far, and they only seemed to be there because they each had a prefect in them.

They waved as he and Summer passed.

"At least we'll get a good compartment," said Summer brightly. "You want front or back?"

Scorpius considered both options. "Back," he decided. "Less traffic, and we'll be able to go through our rounds after the meeting just by walking back to the compartment."

"Sounds good to me."

They both began pushing their trolleys towards the rear of the train.

Scorpius glanced down at the empty owl cage on top of Summer's trunk. "I suppose you let Eowyn fly to Hogwarts again," he said.

"Of course. You know Eowyn hates cages," said Summer. "They frighten her."

"Then why do you still keep that thing?" he asked.

Summer shrugged. "More to let everyone know that I still own her."

"And not the other way round?" asked Scorpius with a smirk.

Summer smacked him upside the head.

Scorpius' owl Eomer (whom Summer had named) gave her a baleful look.

"What?" she asked defensively. "He deserved it!"

Eomer just hooted and tucked his head back under his wing.

* * *

By the time their trunks and cages were safely tucked away in the overhead storage of the very last compartment, the Potters and Weasleys had arrived.

Summer and Scorpius both went back outside to say hello (and goodbye).

Rose seemed to be in a state of near panic. "I told you that we were going to be late!" she frantically told her weary parents.

Ron sighed. "You know we had to drive because Hugo can't appartate yet."

"But you could've let me apparate by myself!"

"But then we wouldn't have been able to spend that time with you," reasoned Hermione.

"But look!" cried a distressed Rose, pointing at Summer. "Summer's here!"

"What?" asked Summer, confused, as all eyes turned towards her. "I'm not late. I'm always early!"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Rose. "You're always early, but if I'm not earlier than you, then that means that I'm late!"

The entire group stared at her like she was insane.

_Which_, thought Scorpius, _apparently she is_.

"I'm not sure that's how it works," he said hesitantly.

Rose rounded on him, as if just barely noticing. She gasped and clutched her cheeks. "Oh no! I'm later than the Head Boy as well!"

Scorpius gaped at her and Summer nodded, though she had raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Well I don't think he'll hold it against you, or anything."

Rose blinked and shook her head. "Right well." She turned to her parents. "Mum, dad, I love you, I will miss you, I will look after Hugo, and I will see you at Christmas." She gave them both a quick hug. "But now I really must go!" With that, she grabbed Scorpius wrist and dragged him towards the front of the train.

He looked back at them as he was tugged along, smiling and waving.

Hugo shook his head. "She's barking mad, that one."

"She's even worse than you," Ron mumbled to his wife. Hermione smacked him on the arm.

"And that's why we never get involved," said Harry. Hermione smacked him as well.

The kids all rolled their eyes and Ginny just laughed.

"Where's James?" asked Summer.

Al scowled. "Still asleep. The train doesn't even leave that early!"

"Now do you understand why I think everyone should get up earlier?" Summer asked.

Al shook his head. "Before ten? Maybe. Before seven? Never."

Summer rolled her eyes.

* * *

With many promises to write as often as possible, the Potter and Weasley children boarded the train just before it was time to go.

Summer stared out the window of the compartment. Outside on the platform, families were still exchanging last minute goodbyes and hugs, even until the train began moving. Mothers, fathers, and older siblings—all of them had come to see off the kids that wouldn't be home until Christmas.

Al watched Summer's face, but she didn't betray any feelings. Her face might as well have been made of stone.

"You really miss them, huh?"

She glanced over at him, and then let her gaze wander back over to the window. "Every day," she whispered.

Al couldn't pretend to know what it felt like, that was Scorpius' area. He could only offer support. But even that didn't seem like much.

Summer wasn't one to stay glum for long, though. So very soon she turned away from the window and smiled at him.

"Well, it's our last year. I say we make it a memorable one."

Al grinned. "It's going to be more than memorable," he told her. "It's going to be epic."

* * *

Al had thought that the train ride, all alone with Summer for the first time since he had developed his crush, was going to be awkward. But it turned out that his fears were unfounded. It was business as usual in Summer's own personal crazy town. She had brought her very favorite muggle card deck, and they played blackjack and Texas Hold'em until Summer felt she had won enough.

When the food trolley came by, Al and Summer bought enough sweets to start betting in their games.

"You know," said Summer between bites of a pumpkin pasty (that she had just won), "I've been thinking of going on a diet."

Al nearly spat out his cauldron cake (bought not won). "What?" he gasped once he had swallowed. "You're joking, right?"

Summer shrugged. "Not really."

Al gaped at her. "Uh, Summer, not to be rude or anything, but… you couldn't diet to save your life."

Summer swallowed forcefully and fixed him with an irritated look. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Al rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, to be honest… you eat more than anybody else I know, and that includes the guys."

Summer stared at him for a minute, and Al was worried that she was going to curse him.

"I'll have you know," she said calmly, "that I _can_ diet and that I _will _diet…." She glanced down at the pile of sweets. "Just not today," she finished, and snatching up a chocolate frog, violently bit the head off.

Al sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that," he joked. "The day you go on a diet is the day I know you're dying."

Summer laughed but still put a threatening finger in his face. "You best watch your mouth, boy. I know where you sleep."

Al gulped.

* * *

The prefect meeting finally ended, and Rose and Scorpius were able to leave the prefects compartment. Rose followed Scorpius down the aisle, occasionally stopping fights or confiscating illegal items, until they reached the compartment their friends were in.

Scorpius turned to her and raised his eyebrows. "What kind of trouble do you think they've gotten themselves into?" he asked.

Rose tisked. "Knowing them, they've destroyed the entire compartment and eaten their body weight in sweets."

Scorpius laughed. "You mean _Summer_ has eaten _both_ their body weights in sweets."

Rose nodded in agreement. "You're probably right."

They both steeled themselves for what was to come. Scorpius slid the compartment door open and they stepped inside just as there was a small _boom!_ and explosion from one of the benches.

Al and Summer had moved on from muggle card games and started amusing themselves with exploding snap. Al had just gotten a face full of the exploding bit, andSummer was laughing hysterically at his singed hair and powdery face.

Scorpius raised his eyebrows at them. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"Yea-haha," wheezed Summer. "Just in time to see Al get a face full!" She rolled right onto the floor in a fit of laughter.

Al scowled at her. "You wouldn't be laughing if it happened to you."

"That's where you're wrong," said Scorpius, sitting down on the opposite bench. "She'd just find a reason to laugh at you anyway."

Al grumbled but he knew it was true. They all did.

Rose took a seat beside Scorpius and Summer heaved herself back into her seat. She was still grinning.

"So," she asked, "how was your meeting?"

"It went well," replied Rose. "We got the new prefects settled in and we set the patrol schedules. Although," she shot Scorpius an annoyed look, "he didn't help at all with the schedules."

Scorpius balked. "You made them all! What was there for me to do?"

"You could have changed something or fixed something."

"There was nothing to fix!"

"Of course there was! That's why I asked you!"

"You asked me to look at them! And I thought they were brilliant!"

Rose paused mid-comeback. "Really?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "Really. I would have said something if I thought they needed fixing. But there was nothing there that I would have changed. You're fantastic at things like that—with all the little details."

"…oh," said Rose, at a sudden loss for words. "That's… that was really sweet."

Both of them stared at each other, unsure what to say.

"Uh… guys." They both jumped and looked at Summer. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Rose hurriedly.

"We're great," added Scorpius.

Summer stared at them blankly for a moment. "Okay then," she said with a shrug.

Rose sank back into her corner, feeling like the almost-moment was ruined. She sighed softly. It was hard for her sometimes- trying to act normal and unaffected when every time she saw Scorpius, her heart rate increased and her face wanted to imitate a tomato. They had been friends for so long that she was able to do it, but there were times that she still said something stupid. It had started in their fourth year, when Scorpius had first joined the Quidditch team. With all the physical exercise, he had filled out. But Rose wasn't one of the shallow girls that only cared about looks (although they helped). She had known him since her first day at school. She liked Scorpius because he was smart and funny. He stood up for what he believed in, and he didn't dismiss anyone just because they weren't socially accepted.

And here she was, forced to just sit and talk to him when all she wanted to do was snog him.

Even now she was just staring at him like a stalker, and he didn't even notice. He, Al, and Summer were all laughing and joking together.

Rose just sat quietly in her corner. Sometimes she couldn't help feeling left out. She was the Ravenclaw outsider that hung around the new Golden trio of Gryffindor. They all played Quidditch, and she didn't. They all were incredibly good looking, and while she wasn't bad looking herself, she felt plain next to them. They were the most popular group in Hogwarts, whether they knew it or not; and she was just that slightly awkward Claw who spent half her life in the library.

Because, that was all she had. Her brains. So she put all her time and energy into studying and practicing and learning. But even there, she could never beat Scorpius. No matter how hard she worked, he was still at the same level as she.

Rose glanced out the window. It was still light, so they had a bit more to go before they would reach the castle. And since she was practically invisible at the moment, Rose decided to go find her Ravenclaw friends. Maybe she would actually be included in the conversation then.

She turned to the others, to let them know she was leaving, and was met with the sight of Scorpius Malfoy, grinning at her and holding a chess board.

"Best 2 out of 3?"

She grinned back. Sometimes, he was psychic. Hot and psychic.

* * *

The train pulled into Hogsmeade station with a jolt. Rose jumped out of her seat with surprising speed.

"We're here! Come on Scor, we have to help the first years!" She bodily pulled him out of his seat and dragged him out the door. He only had time to cast them one last harried glance before he was gone.

Summer turned to Al. "I guess that leaves us."

They had long ago changed into their robes, so they sat in the compartment until the train and platform had cleared a bit. The mad scramble to get in the first carriage available only caused everything to become bottlenecked and blocked. Many times, a second year or two was trampled. The first years were usually protected by Hagrid and through the diligence of the Head Boy and Girl.

When Al and Summer finally got around to exiting the train, there were only about a dozen students left, including Rose and Scorpius.

The two suddenly appeared next to Al. "Oh good," said Rose. "You're still here."

Scorpius watched a skeletal black thestral pull a carriage up next to them. As if sensing his gaze, the creature turned and looked right at him. Scorpius didn't look away.

Summer came and stood next to him, looking in the same direction. "Is it looking at us?"

Scorpius glanced at her. She was staring at the thestral, looking paler than normal. Scorpius looked back at it. The creature turned away and faced forward once again. "I don't know," he said to Summer.

Al was staring at the spot in front of their carriage with distrust. "I don't like it. How can you trust something that you can't even see?"

"They're not that bad," said Summer. "Theyre just like really thin black horse… dragon… things."

She turned to grin at Al but found him staring at her in shock. She then noticed that Rose was as well.

"What?" she asked looking at them both.

"You can see thestrals?" Rose asked quietly, since Al seemed incapable of words.

"Yes," Summer replied uncertainly.

There was an awkward silence. Sensing that something (or more likely someone) was about to blow, Scorpius hurriedly shepherded them into the carriage. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

It was not a moment too soon, for just as he shut the door and the carriage began moving, Al lost it.

"How could you not tell us that?!" he cried. "We've been friends for seven years and you didn't even think to tell us that?!"

"No!" Summer replied, suddenly angry. "I didn't. Because I've always been able to see them, from the first year that we've used the carriages I've been able to see them. I just thought that everyone could see them as well. It wasn't until Scorpius was finally able to see them that I realized!"

All eyes turned to Scorpius.

"You knew I could see them," he said quickly, putting his hands up defensively.

"Yeah," grumbled Al. "But you could have mentioned that another member of our party could."

"It wasn't my place," said Scorpius simply.

Rose decided to take the more delicate approach. She laid a hand on Summer's arm.

"Was it because of your parents?" she asked.

Summer refused to meet any of their eyes. "I don't know."

"But if it started during our second year-" insisted Rose.

"_I don't know_."

Rose withdrew her hand quickly, looking hurt.

Summer looked away guiltily and sighed. She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She thought back on that day. She had just come home from the train station after her first year at Hogwarts. She remembered eating dinner and then talking with her parents, and then-nothing. She woke up in the rubble of her home with no recollection of what had happened.

"I wish I knew," she whispered. "You don't know what it's like—not remembering the death of your parents when you must have been right there. They died and I can't even remember what happened. There's just this huge empty place in my head," she dropped her head into her hands. "They die, I'm found in the wreckage of our home, unable to remember a thing, and then suddenly, I can see thestrals!" She lifted her head and laughed. "Why do you think I never told you?"

Al and Rose exchanged a worried glance. They hardly ever saw Summer any other way than happy. The last time Al saw her that way, was the day his dad brought her home. The normally bright, bubbly ball of sunshine was suddenly a crying mess and an orphan with nowhere else to go.

Summer watched them sadly. She had always had the gap in her memories. The entire night of her parent's deaths was just gone. It had nearly driven her mad in the beginning. She had always wanted so desperately to know what had happened, but her wish was never granted. And now…

"Being able to see thestrals means that I've seen death," she said softly. "I know the death I must have seen, but I can't remember. I'm not sure I want to either."

An awkward, somber silence had enveloped the carriage, reminding everyone why they never talked about Summer's past.

Summer sighed. "Look, let's not start off the school year like this," she pleaded. "I'm sorry I never told you guys about the thestrals. I just… I hate to think about it. It makes me sad."

The others let out a breath. "We understand," said Rose kindly.

Al nodded in agreement, though he kept his arms firmly crossed over his chest. "Yeah. Just remember, we're always here for you."

Summer smiled at them, but even as she did, she was locking her heart away. She didn't need anyone. She never had.

* * *

The Great Hall looked as magnificent as ever, when the four friends finally made it inside. The enchanted ceiling showed that it had started raining outside, and all of them were glad they had avoided getting soaked. Perhaps with the exception of Summer.

Floating candles gave off a warm, inviting light and successfully blocked out the lightning from the ceiling above. most of the students were already seated.

"See you, then," said Rose. With a wave, she left them and went to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

Sadly, Scorpius watched her go. He got used to hanging out with her a lot over the summer and, for a moment, had forgotten that she wasn't in the same house.

He followed Al and Summer over to the Gryffindor table, and they all sat at the end nearest the doors. Seventh years always took that area so they could make a speedy getaway and avoid the congestion that was sure to happen once the feast was over.

Scorpius spotted Lily and Hugo sitting with the other fifth years, as well as Roxanne (Fred's sister) in the sixth year section. Currently there were only seven immediate Weasleys and Potters in Hogwarts; but if all the family friends were included, then the Wotters still made up a small army.

It wasn't long until the Sorting began. Each house gained a handful of first years, and nothing truly exciting or memorable happened. Scorpius grimly thought back on his own Sorting. Students still occasionally talked about it whenever the gossip well ran dry.

After the hat and stool had been taken away, McGonagall stood up. The whispering died down as the entire student body gave their full attention to the Headmistress.

She gave them all a tight smile. "I trust you all had a productive summer." There were many chuckles from the older students and panicked looks exchanged by the younger.

"Before we begin this excellent feast, I have a few announcements to make. First of all, the Forbidden Forest is in fact forbidden, though many of you wish to believe otherwise." She turned her gaze toward the Gryffindor table. "Though, perhaps we shall have a more peaceful year with a number of our students gone." Every member of the Potter and Weasley families smirked at that. It wasn't a mystery who she was referring to.

McGonagall pursed her lips momentarily. "A list of all banned items can be found in the caretaker's office, though no one has ever consulted it before so I think it is highly unlikely that anyone will do so this year." Many students laughed.

"And finally, I am now officially announcing that this will be my last year as Headmistress of Hogwarts." She had barely gotten the words out when a noisy protest began. All the students (sans first years) were expressing their great disapproval at her statement. McGonagall, despite her stern and strict ways, was an excellent teacher and genuinely cared for all the students.

McGonagall gave everyone a stern look and they quieted down, though they were still glaring and frowning. A few girls had even burst into tears. "I have had a most wonderful experience teaching all of you, and your parents for some of you." Al smirked. "But I feel that it is high time for me to step down. I shall miss you all very much, but I have full confidence that you will continue to learn and grow under the supervision of the new Headmaster… whoever he may be," she added upon seeing the curious faces before her.

"And now, quoting the words of a great man, 'tuck in'."

The feast appeared on the tables before them, and conversation broke out in the Hall concerning McGonagall's revelation.

"Well, it explains why she was joking so much," said Summer as she dished out a hearty portion of chicken. "She's never usually that-"

"Unserious?" piped up Al.

Summer frowned at him. "That's not even a word."

"Actually, it is," said Scorpius, swallowing his mashed potatoes.

Summer glared at him. Brandishing her fork at him, she said, "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut."

"No, you just need to get a dictionary."

* * *

The feast continued on. By the time dessert came around, any sadness or disappointment was forgotten, as was usually the case when an excess amount of food was available.

While everyone around them was occupied with laughing and chatting, Scorpius took the opportunity to lean in to Summer and whisper, "Are you alright?"

She looked at him and her smile faltered for a moment. But then it was back, just as bright as before.

"Course," she replied. "Or at least I will be in the morning."

Scorpius just gave her a look. She turned away from him and he sighed. This year was looking like it was going to be hard, and it had barely just begun.

* * *

[A/N: The names Eowyn and Eomer both belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. Also, apologies for any typos that I missed. Reviews would be greatly appreciated as they motivate me to write more :)]


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